Hanukkah, the festival of lights, fried food and games

At sunset on December 18, Jewish families across Canada will gather around the menorah to light the first of eight candles during the joyous festival of Hanukkah.

Just under 1 in 100 Canadians (335,000 people) reported a Jewish religious affiliation in 2021, up from 330,000 in 2001, but accounting for a smaller share of the overall population due to population growth.

You are most likely to spot a menorah in the windows of homes in Canada’s largest cities of Toronto and Montréal.  In fact, just under half of the Canadians reporting a Jewish religious affiliation—or 165,000 people—called the Toronto metropolitan area home in 2021. Montréal (82,675 people), Vancouver (20,125), Ottawa (11,395), and Winnipeg (11,165) are also home to large Jewish communities.

While Canada’s smallest Jewish community is located in Nunavut, they will be lighting candles earlier than virtually anyone this Hanukkah. For the 35 Canadians who reported a Jewish religious affiliation in Nunavut in 2021 and are celebrating Hanukkah this year, they will be lighting the first candle at 1:41 p.m. when the sun sets on December 18, and at 1:46 p.m. eight nights later on December 26 when Hanukkah ends.

Hanukkah festivities will cost more this year

Hanukkah is also celebrated with fried food such as potato pancakes and jelly donuts as well as wine. Other Hanukkah activities include a rousing game of dreidel or exchanging gifts, such as money or chocolate money.

All of these items will cost more this Hanukkah compared with 2021. Prices for edible fats and oils have risen 22.7% year over year in October, followed by potatoes (+11.4%); confectionaries (+6.9%), which include chocolate; and wine purchased from stores (+6.7%).

Over two-thirds of Canadians affiliated with the Jewish religion reported that their religious or spiritual beliefs are somewhat or very important to their lives

Approximately one in four Jewish people (24%) participated in group or individual religious practices at least once per month from 2017 to 2019—the second lowest participation rate among the major faiths in Canada, following Buddhists (15%). Meanwhile, less than one in five Jewish people in Canada (18%) reported no group or individual religious practices—the second lowest rate of non-observance among the great religions.

Over two-thirds of Canadians affiliated with the Jewish religion (70%) reported that their religious or spiritual beliefs are somewhat or very important to their lives, a higher share compared with those affiliated with the Christian or Buddhist faiths but trailing those affiliated with the Hindu or Muslim faiths.

To learn more about Canada’s Jewish community, check out “The Canadian census: A rich portrait of the country's religious and ethnocultural diversity.”

To find out how the pandemic has affected religious participation in Canada, see the study “The religiosity of Canadians and the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The best way to keep track of price changes in Canada is through our monthly Consumer Price Index.